


A Lord's Grief

by Iserlohna



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Angst and Feels, Birthday, Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-23 13:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30055872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iserlohna/pseuds/Iserlohna
Summary: Reinhard can never have what he wants for his birthdays.
Relationships: Annerose von Grunewald & Siegfried Kircheis & Reinhard von Lohengramm
Kudos: 2





	A Lord's Grief

**Author's Note:**

> Am angsty bday fic for Renhard's special day. :P

_Then_

Kircheis found Reinhard sitting by the fountain in the dark, looking up at the night sky. It had taken his friend some time to find him and Reinhard assumed Kircheis had looked for him in the hall first as soon as he'd realized Reinhard wasn't back in their dorm room after curfew. Of course, he could have waited for Reinhard to come back on his own — but that had never been the way their friendship worked. Kircheis was not one to passively sit by when he felt Reinhard needed his support.

His friend was always at his side — even if that meant trouble for both of them. 

“Lord Reinhard!” Kircheis called his name. When Reinhard looked at him there was no need to hide his anger and frustration. Kircheis could read him well enough to see the emotions in the way his shoulders tensed and his hands were forming fists reflexively. He was by Reinhard's side in a few quick steps. “What happened?” 

He gnashed his teeth together and for another moment fumed in silence. Then he shook his head until his blond hair was a golden mess. 

Kircheis stared at him, worry heavy in his eyes even though his face didn't give anything else away. He was like that: Calm and alert, always ready to offer advice, always willing to follow Reinhard's lead, and prepared to have his back. 

“I can't see Annerose,” he said. “ _He_ requires her at his side. He can't even let her go for one day.”

Reinhard didn't need to explain who _he_ is. He spat the word with venom enough to make it clear. And Kircheis knew that Reinhard had been looking forward to seeing his sister on his birthday. 

“She sent me an electronic letter apologizing — as if _she_ has anything to be sorry for.”

“Lady Annerose will be truly sorry that she can't see you on your birthday.”

“It's a disgrace that I can't even visit my own sister when I want to, that I always have to ask for permission... Kircheis,” Reinhard said, “tell me, do you think I can do it?”

Again there was no need to explain what he meant. Kircheis knew it all. Reinhard's hatred for the Goldenbaum dynasty, his hatred towards the Kaiser who had taken his sister away, his ambition to do what Rudolf von Goldenbaum had done and stamp his seal on the history of all of space and rid it of this kind of injustice.

“Of course,” Kircheis replied with conviction. “We will graduate soon and then nothing will stop you, Lord Reinhard.”

It was balm to his wounded soul to hear that note of unwavering belief in someone else's voice. They were still so far away from making any difference in this society ruled by a useless and cruel aristocracy. Every day it became harder to hide his ambitions as he witnessed more of it everywhere. But he couldn't be impatient. Soon he could show what he was made of.

“Kircheis,” he whispered and looked back up towards the twinkling stars spreading out across the black of the night sky, reminding him of why his gaze needed to be fixed to what lay beyond Odin, “I will see to it. One day it'll all be over and we'll be happy together.”

His friend put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “One day,” he agreed.

Reinhard let his hand glide across his friend's fingers, squeezed them briefly in thanks. “When I have conquered all of,” he said, “I'll get to see her all the time.”

“When you have reached your goal, Lord Reinhard, we'll spend all birthdays with you.” Kircheis smiled. “I know you already asked for permission to spend time away from duties that day, so we will. Together. Until next time when we can all spend it together again, the three of us.”

His friend's smile soothed the ache in his heart and his anger bled away. He would spend the day with Kircheis and tell Annerose all about it at another time so that she wouldn't feel sad or guilty that she hadn't been allowed to see him.

“Yes,” he agreed. “And I'll make it so, that we can all be together in the future.”

* * *

_Now_

On his birthday he took a land car to the meadow and walked the way up the hill to the tree where Kircheis was buried. He put down the flowers and rested a hand on the gravestone, stroking it lightly. 

His other hand gripped the pendant that these days had become his most important treasure, companion in triumph and despair. 

“I'm going to conquer it all,” he whispered to the grave, “for you, for all of us.”

Already, he had the Empire in the palm of his hand and Kircheis had helped make it so.

But that one precious promise he would never be able to fulfill.

His birthdays — even when he spent them among his loyal Admirals and supporters — would forever be spent without the people he yearned for.

“Back to the ministry,” he told the soldier who was driving him today after he had slowly walked back to the car.

“My Lord?”

He had probably been told their young head of state would be needing his services all day for a well-deserved downtime on his birthday. Reinhard had no intention to spend a quiet day away from work, and he had promised Annerose not to show his face before he was done so he had nowhere to go.

“Let's head right back. There's work to do.”

He climbed into the car and watched the landscape pass him by, mind back on the preparations he had to make to build the future he had worked towards for so long. He gripped the pendant and leaned into his seat, imagining Kircheis whispering to him: “You've come so far. Soon you'll have all of space in your hands.”


End file.
